The present invention pertains to a structure for mounting a lamp or other electrical accessory in a vehicle body which integrally includes an electrical circuit.
Presently, the overhead lamps installed in vehicle headliners and the like typically employ a housing mounted to the vehicle itself into which the lamp (i.e. bulb) and its socket and switching components are mounted. The assembly typically includes a trim bezel which may include lenses, diffusers, or the like. Power for such accessories is usually supplied through discrete wiring harnesses extending between the vehicle headliner and roof. Visors also frequently include electrical accessories such as illumination means for a vanity mirror, garage door opening transmitters, telephones, or other electrical accessories. Typically the visor has a body which is molded or formed of either a polymeric material or of a fiberboard material. The electrical components typically have been coupled by discrete conductors such as physical wires or stamped flat circuit conductors which are held to the visor core in a conventional manner. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/350,596, filed on May 11, 1989 and entitled LIGHTED MIRROR ASSEMBLY FOR MOTOR VEHICLE VISOR discloses an electrical circuit mounted on the rear surface of a visor illuminated vanity mirror, which circuit is printed with a conductive ink on a Mylar film adhesively attached to the back of the mirror. The mirror is then incorporated in a conventional fashion to a vehicle visor body such as a molded core member.
In recent years, headliners for vehicles have also included electrical wiring harnesses which are attached to the headliners using additional fasteners which route the wiring harness to a variety of sockets for the electrical accessories mounted to the headliner. The headliner assembly is then mounted to the vehicle roof and an interconnecting wire harness in the vehicle is connected to one or more of the harnesses associated with the headliner. Such construction, although simplifying the installation process, still requires the utilization of a lamp housing and associated hardware including, electrical harnesses, typically in a bundle of wires which include connectors at opposite ends for coupling the modular housing to the vehicle's electrical system as the headliner is installed.